1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing technique using a hot folder for printing job data inputted to a folder.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, an example of a known system for printing an imaged photograph includes a printing system for creating a photographic print of an album by inputting and printing image data to be printed.
In the printing system, when contents data (image data or text data) to be printed is designated, the contents data and a print setting information file (a setting file describing information (print setting information) related to a setting of a printer for producing a print) are stored in a folder called a hot folder. The hot folder denotes a folder set in a high-capacity storage apparatus, such as a hard disk, and contents data to be printed is stored.
A hot folder application has a folder monitoring function, and when new image data is stored in the hot folder, the data is detected to execute print processing. The hot folder application is different from a normal printing application in that the printing function can be realized by simply inputting data to the folder without using a special API, when the application is used from another system such as a photographic processing system.
The hot folders are roughly classified into two types, a flexible type and a fixed type. The flexible type denotes a hot folder without print setting information specific to the folder, and content data and a print setting information file need to be inputted to the folder for each job. The fixed type denotes a hot folder with print setting information specific to the folder, and printing is possible just by inputting contents data.
In the flexible-type hot folder, the print setting needs to be inputted, along with the contents data, to the hot folder every time. The fixed-type hot folder is provided to reduce that load.
In a conventional technique, the hot folder is used to list a plurality of pieces of job history information (print history information for one print job) in order to check an execution result of a printed job. The list of the job history information allows checking an interruption or an error in the printing. Along with the job history information, job data (print setting information file and contents data) associated with the print job can be held to reprint the print job with an error or interruption (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-129556).
In a holding method of the data associated with the print job in the conventional technique, a set of all necessary data (job history information, print setting information file and contents data) is held for one print job.
When the job history information, the print setting information file and the contents data are collectively held, unnecessary print setting information file and contents data are left even if, for example, only the history of the print job needs to be checked for a purpose other than for re-printing. Therefore, the disk capacity is wastefully consumed.
When a printed job is applied to print the data by replacing only part of the contents data, the replaced print data is unnecessary, and it is only necessary to hold required contents data.
The data necessary for the print job is automatically held in the conventional technique, and the user needs to check the disk capacity to organize the disk if necessary. Therefore, the disk capacity may become full if the user does not organize the disk.